Monument to Lenin in Vitebsk

At different times, 11 monuments and busts of V. I. Lenin were installed in Vitebsk. To this day, 8 of them have been preserved. The decision to erect the first monument to the leader was made on January 24, 1924, at a mourning meeting of the city council.

Design and creation of the Lenin monument

The project was assigned to the Leningrad Art and Technical Institute. As a result of the competition, the best design was recognized as the work of students R. N. Budilov, M. F. Baburin, B. Malyutin, and Z. K. Taurit, who later became one of the authors of the ensemble at Piskaryovskoye Cemetery in Leningrad.

Unveiling of the first "large" Lenin monument in Belarus

The ceremonial unveiling of the monument took place on November 7, 1930, at Lenin Square. It was the first large monument to Lenin in Belarus and one of the first in the entire USSR. However, in 1940, it was deemed to have "no artistic value," and authorities decided to replace it with a new sculpture.

The fate of the monument during the war

A bronze figure of Lenin with a raised hand stood on a small granite pedestal, which was also used as a podium during parades. In 1941, the monument was blown up by German occupiers, and its fragments were used to make hockey pucks.

The new Lenin monument in Vitebsk

In 1956, a new monument was erected at the same location (sculptors G. Arapova, M. Alekseenko, architect P. Yurchenko). The monument stood 9 meters tall, and its pedestal was clad in polished granite. One of the plates featured the inscription "Lenin" in Belarusian.

The Lenin herma near the Art Museum

In 1985, a Lenin herma was installed near the former regional committee of the Communist Party (now the Art Museum, 32 Lenin Street). This is a sculptural representation in the form of a head on a four-sided support – a type of classical park sculpture. The bronze bust was created by I. Misko, and the architect was V. Sheremetiev.

Bust of Karl Marx: a symmetrical addition

Before the installation of the bronze herma, a concrete bust of Lenin by A. Kurochkin had stood there since 1965. Interestingly, on the opposite side of the entrance to the building, there is a symmetrical bust of Karl Marx.

The Lenin monument – a cultural heritage site

Today, the Lenin monument in Vitebsk is included in the State List of Historical and Cultural Values of the city. It is one of the iconic landmarks of Vitebsk, attracting tourists interested in Soviet heritage and the city's history.